Improvement in car-couplings



N. GIFFOIBD.

Patented May 5.1874.

Gar-Couplings.

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Witnesses.

UNITED STATES ATENT :FFIGE.

EZRA N. GIFFORD, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, THEO- DORE B.STEVENS, FRANCIS A. BRADY, AND HENRY S. STEVENS, OF

SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 150,563, dated May5,1874; application filed February 17', 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EZRA N. GIFFORD, of Cleveland, in the county ofOuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved AutomaticOar-Coupling; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing forming a partof this specification, in whieh--Figure 1 is a sectional elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan view; Fig. 3, a sideelevation; Figs. 4 and 5, detail views of the coupling-pin; and Fig. 6is a sectional elevation of two drawbars, having my coupling applied tothem.

The, invention relates to car-couplings that are bifurcated, andoperated by the pressure of the coupling-link; and consists in certainfeatures of improvement, which are hereinafter fully described, andsubsequently pointed out in the claims. 7

A represents an open-sided draw-head, with the usual flare-mouthedbuffer-head a; B, the ordinary link; and O, a bifurcated couplingpin.Between the legs D E of this couplingpin is held the end of link B, andupon the longer leg D are formed enlargements D D, with shoulders d dand d (1 while the upper and lower parts of pin are considerablynarrower, so that these shoulders cannot pass up through the draw-headslot F except at the widened apertures s s, and not at all downwardlythrough slot G. The long leg D is also rounded or reduced at the lowerend (1 so that when the pin is raised,-and the rounded part d broughtwithin the enlarged end hole 9 of bottom slot, the pin can be reversed.

When the link is in an uncoupled car, and the pin liable to be jostledhigh enough to allow of the escape of the link, the pin is thenreversed, so that, no matter how high it, may bounce under jolts, jars,or other accidents, the link cannot possibly escape. When drawn forwardwith the strain upon either leg, the shoulders of pin will be broughtbeneath the draw-head slot edges, and the pin prevented from rising ormoving up and down.

, Below the shoulders d d, and near the middle, is located a shortupward incline, d, against which the link strikes when the pin is raisedand ready for coupling. At this time the pin rests with the long leginclined forward, having the rear of its enlargement D D against thefront edges of projections f f while the end of short leg E is supportedon the upward incline of buil'er'head a. It thus remains secure untilstruck by the advancing link, which forces back the long arm, and causesthe pin to fall with its legs astraddle of the end of the link.

(0 represents a shoulder on the inside and at the bottom of buifer-head,to afl'ord a larger bearing for the pin while under strain, but moreparticularly to allow an incoming link to pass over one already lying onthe .inside of draw-head.

For the mere purpose of preventing a rise or fall in the pin when understrain, I might form shoulders e e on the short leg E, and that would bean equivalent for this purpose; but by putting the enlargements on thesides of leg D, I obtain two objects.

I may also form an angular or. other cavity, 0, in the end of the shortleg, E, to catch at the front end of slot upon the draw-head, and thushold the pin until caused by the link to fall.

- I use a ring, cross-staple, or other device at the upper and lowerends of coupling-pin, to avoid the possibility of withdrawal, and thusto save the loss by theft of so many links and coupling-pins.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is i 1. Thecombination, with draw-head having narrow slots F G, of a coupling-pinhaving the enlargements D, with shoulders d d and d d to hold andprevent the pin from rising or falling, as set forth.

2. The combination, with a draw-head hav-' ing the narrow slots F G, thelatter provided with enlarged apertures f g, of a coupling-pin havingthe lower part (1 reduced, to allow the pin to be reversed, as setforth.

3. The combination, with a car-coupling and enable the pin to betripped, at the time draw-head, having the side projections f f on theedges of its upper side, andthe forward incline on buffer-head, of thebifurcated pin, having side enlargements D D, to enable the coupler tobe held up, as set forth.

4. A coupling-pin, 0, having the short upward incline d to receive theadvancing link and in the manner specified.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 10th day ofFebruary, 187 4.

EZRA N. GIFFORD. Witnesses:

SOLON C. KEMON, CHAS. A. PETTIT.

